U.M.N.
The U.M.N., short for Unus Mundus Network (Latin for "One World Network"), is a mysterious informational network developed by Vector Industries that spans the entire universe and the 500,000 colonized planets. Anyone from one of the Galaxy Federation's 500,000 planets can instantaneously connect and talk to another in less than a second. In simple terms, it is essentially the Xenosaga equivalent of the Internet, and what the Internet will become in the year 6000-7277. Because of how reliant humanity is on the U.M.N., the U.M.N. is considered a human right. Many people spend hours and hours, lost in the U.M.N., endlessly clicking and consuming information. Because the U.M.N. can be addictive, it is important to use it in moderation. The symbol of the U.M.N. is a snake biting its own tail, also known as the Ouroboros. The U.M.N.'s mascot is Bunnie, an unbelievably adorable and cute bunny rabbit. History When the U.M.N. first began, many humans were initially skeptical and wary of it, believing it would be a temporary phase and fad that would never last, doubting its potential. This belief was mainly possessed by older generations who didn't grow up with the U.M.N. and couldn't understand what it was like. However, this belief couldn't be further from the truth and this belief was soon proven wrong. The U.M.N. quickly became one of the most important human inventions and one of the most powerful tools, persisting for thousands of years. Eventually, the real world and the U.M.N. merged, challenging people's world views until it was widely accepted. The U.M.N. became a collective effort, and can be improved by anyone. It is one of the must powerful tools in the universe and greatest human inventions of all time. Uses and functions The U.M.N. provides wireless instantaneous information and mass distribution of media, entertainment, communication, webcams and e-mail, and information via online databases. At a young age, humans are taught netiquette (Internet etiquette), and taught to be careful of what they put online. Abusive comments and harassment on the U.M.N. are maturely dealt with, and humans who are involved with it are punished - both online and in the real world. There is zero tolerance for such actions. For example, wiki vandalism is reverted and the editors involved are blocked and tracked down in real life (depending on the severity). The U.M.N.'s non-locality is a large factor in its use in space warps and FTL (faster than light) communications. * News * Online dating, friendship making and social media to keep in contact with friends in the entire universe * Communication and e-mail * Live video streams and photo sharing * Digital distribution of HD (high-definition) videos, movies, shows, music, video games, and much more * Finance and online banking * Reporting crimes to the police * 911, hospitals and emergencies * Wikis and online databases which supply information * Missing pet alerts * Food recipes * Online shopping * Encephalon diving (subconscious virtual reality) * A platform for creative output, art, and constructive criticism * A platform for idea sharing, social democracy and social justice to take down corruption and censorship * Coding and open source programs * Spaceship flights Mysteries Despite that humanity uses it, the majority of people don't know how it actually works. The U.M.N. secretly uses the Collective Unconscious as a network infrastructure. The U.M.N. was built upon the actual Unus Mundus, the human collective consciousness which had existed there long before the transfer columns and other U.M.N.-related technologies were developed. In other words, the U.M.M. is built on the deceased souls of humanity - their words, ideas, and art lives on, even after humans die. Sergius XVII says, "Thanks to the U.M.N. and the Federation. They've managed to reduce the people to a mass of spineless weaklings." In Xenosaga: A Missing Year, it is explained that despite its widespread usage, no official data on the development or nature of the U.M.N. is recorded, and any details are kept solely by Vector. Administration The U.M.N. Control Center is located on Second Miltia. This includes all facilities associated with the U.M.N. including the U.M.N. Transportation Gate management facility. The U.M.N. is under the jurisdiction of the U.M.N. Management Agency, meaning the U.M.N. Management Agency virtually controls all information within the Galaxy Federation, making it a very influential agency within the central government. The agency relies on Vector Industries to provide 98% of its facilities and resources. The Zohar-powered superweapon, Proto Ω, used the U.M.N. as a weapon. Using a U.M.N. Phase Transfer Cannon, Proto Ω could strike virtually any target in civilized space and completely obliterate it. Certain points on the U.M.N. represented by actual points in space are known as Column Areas. These are specially designated areas of space normally marked by beacons where ships can gate in and gate out of hyperspace. A vessel must first interact with the U.M.N. in the Column Area, transmit a flight plan and a usage fee to the U.M.N. Transportation Gate management facility then receive clearance to gate into hyperspace. The space between recognized Column Areas is small on a galactic scale, but with the increasing number of Gnosis attacks on ships out in deep space the sometimes day-long layovers where ships have to travel in normal space between Column Areas can prove fatal. Such a fate befell the Federation cruiser Woglinde and her escort fleet from the 171st Marine Division. So far there has been only one known craft in the Xenosaga universe that is capable by-passing all known U.M.N. checkpoints and entering hyperspace without interacting with the U.M.N. That craft is the E.S. Dinah created by Vector industries for the KOS-MOS Project. Grimoire Verum and Gnosis Terrorism Grimoire Verum, a scientist who worked for Vector on Lost Jerusalem and deciphered some of Lemegeton, existed for centuries in the U.M.N. A year prior to the events of Episode III, Shion Uzuki and the anti-U.M.N. organization known as Scientia discovered that Grimoire was behind a recent wave of organized Gnosis attacks on human cities, which came to be known as "Gnosis Terrorism", and they put a stop to him. Grimoire had been using the U.M.N. to conduct these attacks in an attempt to find his daughter, Nephilim Verum. Building a new U.M.N. At the end of Episode III, all of the U.M.N. transfer columns disappear, restricting mankind to conventional means of travel. MOMO Mizrahi and the organization Scientia plan to develop a new non-U.M.N. network that would span the galaxy. Etymology The term unus mundus, literally "one world," was used by psychiatrist Carl Jung to describe a state beyond this world where every contradiction in physics, like synchronicity and the EPR paradox, can be explained. A place where every relationship, such as that of the mind to mind, or mind to matter, can also make sense. External links *Theme of the U.M.N. Gallery UMNemail.png|Shion connecting to the U.M.N. to read her email. SMSP.png|U.M.N. terminals at Second Miltia's space port. ShionPC.png|Shion doing PC tech work. ChaoDive.gif|chaos Encephalon diving. ZiggyDives.gif|Ziggy Encephalon diving. JrDive.gif|Jr. Encephalon diving. ShiDive.gif|Shion Encephalon diving. ShionIsland.png|Shion Uzuki using the U.M.N. to webchat with Miyuki Itsumi. Category:Organizations